Industrially producing yarn involves a balance between incorporating new technology into yarn production while not having to increase price so significantly as to deter consumers from purchasing technological benefited yarn products. Yarn prices are set by energetic competition and unless the total cost is less than the market price for the particular quality of yarn, it is unlikely that the manufacturing operation will survive, irrespective of the technology utilized.
Total cost can be based on a number of factors, including new materials, energy (power), shipping, storage, new technological implementation, and labor costs just to name a few. A manufacturer that can implement new technology while only slightly increasing cost is able to industrially produce a high quality, technology enhanced yarn. However, many new technologies developed for yarn production are not suitable for industrial production. The new technologies simply increased the total cost well over market price.
Twisting is a major factor of yarn spinning. In the twisting process, the fiber is firstly drafted and then twisted once or more to provide an essential amount of yarn strength, wear resistance, smoothness, and so on. False twist texturing is a type of twist. A running yarn twisted causes false twist to be trapped between a roller system and a false twisting device. The feed yarn has little or no twist, the yarn between the roller system and the false twisting device has a false twist, and the yarn leaving the false twisting device has the same twist as the input. However, when the twisting process is varied or out of control, unwanted residual torque would be retained in the yarn, which may affect the yarn breakage rate in the ring spinning machine, and further influence the quality of the yarn and the downstream processes. Hence, twisting process control is important.
Twist must run back as close as possible to the nip of the rollers, but never penetrates completely because after leaving the rollers, the yarns (in the case of two or more yarns) have to be diverted inwards and wrapped around each other. There is always a triangular bundle of fibers without twist at the exit of the rollers. This is called the “spinning triangle”. Most of the end breaks of the yarn originate at this point.
The prior art shows efforts trying to minimize the yarn breakage rate by lowering the speed of the yarn or increasing the twist on the yarn. However, this type of arrangement may lead to non-symmetry pattern and spiralty in knitted fabric. Additional treatments are required to overcome defects, leading to higher production costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,590,374 exhibits devices for applying false twist to yarn or thread. The twisting element can be formed of an endless belt. However, this arrangement still exhibits limited twist due to yarn breakage exhibited in the triangular zone. U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,095 teaches a false twisting device, however, this arrangement does not allow for industrial production as each false twisting device requires its own motor. Along a spinning machine, with each false twisting device requiring its own motor, the production costs for yarn would likely be extremely high.
Lappets have been known to be used in spinning machines. In use, the lappets guide the yarn to a spindle. Usually, only one lappet is used. As known in the art, the whirling length of yarn between a lappet and spindle produces yarn tension. Too high tension above the lappet leads to high frequency of end breaks. Too high tension below the lappet leads to reduction in yarn quality. Movable lappets that can be raised or lowered have been known in the art, however the raising of lowering of the lappet has been reported as having a negligible influence on the resultant yarn.
Resultant yarn is also subject to count (Ne). The higher the count, the softer feel for the yarn. However, the count level is partly limited by spindle spin. Spindle spin must operate in a particular range to avoid yarn breakage. As a result, to obtain a softer feel yarn many manufacturers chemically treat the yarn in order to produce softer feeling products. However, chemical treatments can expose textile wearers to harmful byproducts and side effects when worn for a sufficient period of time.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages and problems in the prior art by teaching a machine for industrially producing, low twist yarn to be used in the manufacture of soft feel textile products.